Evangelicalism Within Christianity
The US populace is a multi-religious community. The major faiths being professed in the US include Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism. Christianity is by far the most popular religion in the country. Christianity has contributed significantly to America’s political and social history. It was introduced to the US by colonialists from Europe including the French and the British. The right and freedom to worship has become an integral part of the US culture. Consequently, many denominations, sects, and movements have cropped up and thrived in the country. This paper examines Evangelicalism movement in the US discussing its history, the beliefs held by Evangelicals and their practices.
The analysis shows that Evangelicalism is the second largest movement in the world after neo-Pentecostalism. The American continent constitutes the second region with most Evangelicals after Sub-Saharan Africa. The denomination professes the supremacy and infallibility of the Bible, conscious efforts of spreading of the word of God and salvation through the death of Jesus Christ.
Religion and Movements in the US
There are many religions in the US. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center established that nearly 76.5% of the American population professes Christianity. This represents a 5% decrease from the data of studies conducted in 2000. A significant number of US citizens, 14.1%, did not identify with any religion. From those professing Christianity, 52% were Protestants, 24.5% were Roman Catholics with other denominations sharing the remaining percentage.
Christianity, being the dominant religion in the US, has experienced unrivaled growth. Many denominations have developed and so have Christian movements. They include Pentecostal, Charismatic, Evangelical, Ecumenism, Christian Zionism, Holiness movement, Lesbian and Gay Christian movement among others. These movements, crucially, do not necessarily represent a difference in ideologies and beliefs. In most instances, they share so much in common that it becomes difficult to differentiate between them. The dominant Christian movement is the Neo-Pentecostal, otherwise referred to as Charismatic. Neo-Pentecostals constitute 14% of the overall Christian populace in the world. Its closest rivals are Evangelicals at 13.1% and Pentecostals at 12.8%. All these Christian movements are increasingly recording an increment in the number of followers meaning that the overall number of Christians is on the rise. Having established the background of religions and movements in the US to provide context, the essay will now focus on Evangelicalism movement in the US.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is the second most dominant Christian movement in the US after Neo-Pentecostalism, just like in many parts of the world where Christians constitute the majority of the population. In fact, the US has the largest number of Evangelicals if Sub-Saharan Africa is taken out of the picture. The active nature and vigor of Evangelicalism have been attributed as the main reason why it has spread so fast in Africa since it portrays the image of Christ as the redeemer. Of all the Evangelicals in the world, 10% reside in the US and other parts of North America. What is more, Evangelicals in the US constitute nearly a third of the total Evangelicals in the world? The high number is credited to the influence that America had on developing and enhancing Evangelicalism during its infancy in the 18th Century. Evangelicalism is, therefore, one of the most dominant Christian movements in the country.
